PAUL C. CURTIS - TGI Staff Writer
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A group of students from Kaua’i High School and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle

schools recently went back to school.

No, not at their schools. They took principal Lopaka Bodnar up on his offer

to spend a day at his St. Francis School campus in Lihu’e.

The result was that a good time was had by all. The visiting students eased

into classrooms with their private-school peers and experienced structured

instruction for the first time since the start of the public-school

teachers’ strike April 5.

Public school students throughout Kaua`i and statewide have had time on

their hands during the contract dispute between the Hawai’i State Teachers

Association and the state of Hawai’i. Their schools have remained closed to

students and the sites of picket lines.

“It’s good to see other schools’ curriculum,” said Konane Henline, a senior

at Kaua’i High who spent a day at St, Francis, a Catholic school located in

the former Immaculate Conception School facilities near Kaua`i County’s

Isenberg Park.

“I think it’s a good program,” said David Medeiros, another Kaua’i High senior.

“Since the strike, we’ve had kids coming in, kids visiting, kids interested

about the private-school education,” said Bodnar, who welcomes the students

hungry for classroom learning.

As the school is also looking at getting more involved in the community,

Bodnar hopes the exposure the school is generating with its day program for

strike-affected students could lead to more grants, which could lead to

more tuition assistance for families who want to send their children to

private school but can’t accommodate the tuition payments.

“Some of the kids just can’t afford it. That’s one of the biggest reasons

for not coming here,” he said. “Students just feel, ‘Well, I can’t go there

because I can’t afford to.’ What we’re saying is, ‘Hey, here’s another

option – maybe we’ll look at some ways to assist you and what we can do to

help you if you desire to come to this school. Because there is no question

as to the need for the school.”

Bodnar, who has been in education for 30 years, said he grew up in a needy

family on O’ahu, so he sympathizes with families that may not be able to

afford private school.

“One of my goals is definitely to try to make it accessible for everyone in

the future,” he said.

St. Francis has grades seven through 12 (it will expand down to sixth grade

this fall), and expects a double-digit graduating class this year.

Besides Henline and Medeiros, other visitors to the school were Kristine

McClurg, Lornette Correa, Storm Sasaki, Kolomana Basconcillo, Douglas

Dureg, and Asia Villatora, Alaina Villatora and Alaric Villatora.

“It was so nice of them to come over. It was so nice to have that,” Bodnar

said of the visiting students.

Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net

or 245-3681 (ext. 224).